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River Duchies
Overview The River Duchies is the name given to a collection of individually governed lordships in the temperate, river crossed lowlands and hills between the Holy Empire of Que'edal and the Winterwilds Kingdom.Their society is organized in a feudalistic way, with inherited power passed through blood from a Duke or Duchess to their children. They have a simple, monotheistic religion that values Law and Good, but churches are not nearly as powerful as coin and inherited power. In many ways, the River Duchies are similar to the societies of medieval Europe. ' GovernmentCategory:NationsCategory:River Duchies The government of the River Duchies is monarchical, with power passed usually from father to son within families. The River Duchies are not a cohesive kingdom, rather a collection of smaller lordships, so the policies of one duchy may be very different than those of its neighbors. Each duchy is controlled by one of the great houses, or families, all of which have their own values, traditions, and even characteristic appearance. Alliances do of course form between houses from time to time, but the riverdukes just as often fall into war with each other as they do cooperate. Houses The great houses form the backbone of the patchwork River Duchies, each controlling its own lands and conducting its own foreign relations. Laws and policies vary wildly from duchy to duchy. Here is a short list of some notable houses: Religion The people of the River Duchies have a simple monotheistic religion that is somewhat organized, however church affairs take a definite backseat to the afffairs of the lords. The religion of the River Duchies values Good and Law, its churches are called Sanctuaries and it priests are called Sanctors. The Goddess The Goddess of the Riverfolk is a figure of Good and Law, the protector of innocence and enemy of evil in all of its forms. To the good, she is merciful, gentle, and offers healing and protection. To the evil, she is rutheless and unforgiving. Often refered to as the Mother, The Goddess, and the Lady of Mercy. She judges souls departing the corporeal world in order to determine their destiny in the afterlife Domains: Law, Good, Protection, Community, Glory, Healing, Nobility, Strength, Sun Alignment: Lawful Good Favored Weapon: Longsword Symbol: Four pointed star The Afterlife After death, a person's fate in the afterlife is determined by their behavior during their life. The Goddess values Good and Law, and weighs a person's adherence to those principles in making her judgement. Those who have lived well and in the genuine pursuit of goodness and lawfulness are granted entrance to the Kingdom of Light, a heaven-like domain. Those who are neither good nor evil or who have striven to be good to the best of their ability yet failed are entered into a cycle of reincarnations until they can earn their way into the Kingdom of Light. Truly evil and chaotic souls are judged irredeemable and destroyed, their existences ending in complete and utter oblivion with no afterlife. Law While laws vary wildly from duchy to duchy, there is a small set of laws that hold true almost everywhere in the River Duchies. These laws represent what the riverfolk consider to be universal truths about the nature of good and and evil, law and chaos. It can be assumed that within the River Duchies, some form of all of the following laws is enforced, however punishment varies from duchy to duchy. Murder To the riverfolk, all killings outside of battle are considered murders. This includes abortion and infanticide, as well as assisted suicide. Most often, the punishment for murder is execution, however sometimes exceptions are made and offenders are pardoned or given more lenient sentencing. Marriage Marriage in the River Duchies is straightforward and well-defined: Marriage contracts are made between a man and a woman, and are to be honored until the death of one of the spouses. Family names are carried through the female line - a tradition that dates back to a time when the River Duchies were extremely volatile and women would marry multiple men for additional protection. Now, marriage is strictly monogamous, but the tradition continues. Marriages are often arranged by fathers who seek to find a suitable heir to their power, which will by rite fall into the hands of his eldest daughter's husband. Women are expected to be celibate before marriage, while expectations for men are more lax. Treachery Perhaps the most volatile of crimes in the River Duchies is treachery, which is nearly always met with a death sentence. Definitions of treachery vary wildly, but most involve breaking oaths, deserting warfare, and spying. There is a tradition of cutting open a traitor's ribcage to expose their heart, and then pouring black tar onto it and letting it harden to stop the beating as a sort of ritual punishment and a warning to others. It also shames the traitor by literally showing their "black heart" to everyone - including the Goddess. Races The dominant race in the River Duchies is human and all of the members of the great houses are human. Sometimes a half-elf or elf from the north or members of catfolk tribes find themselves in the Duchies. However, they are generally mistrusted by their predominantly human neighbors, but are not actively discriminated against. The Duchies are generally considered a safe-haven for refugees of other races.